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EIRC of ICAI organised the Late S Vaidya Nath Aiyar Memorial Lecture

Kolkata: The Newly formed Eastern India Regional Council for the year 2023 – 24 of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India organised the Late S Vaidya Nath Aiyar Memorial Lecture on 24th February 2023. Keeping up with the tradition of the past, EIRC invited noted Economist Prof. (Dr.) Suman Kumar Mukherjee to speak on the subject “Balancing India’s Rapid Economic Growth with Sustainability.”

The topic selected is very much relevant as Economic growth, Social inclusion, and Environmental conservation are the three key components of long-term sustainable development. Harmonizing them is crucial towards the achievement of a Balanced growth of any country. Sustainable development requires long-term economic growth, a stable livelihood, living in harmony with nature, and the use of appropriate technology in pursuance with nature.

Women’s Day Quote – Saumya Singh Rathore, Co-Founder, WinZO games

By Saumya Singh Rathore, Co-Founder, WinZO games 

“Online gaming requires use of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision to create more immersive and engaging gaming experiences. The need to develop low latency apps, irrespective of the kind of device used by the consumer, makes it extremely complex. In India, the representation of women in these fields is low. Studies have shown that only 28% of STEM graduates in India are women, and only 14% of the STEM workforce is female. However, the number of women participating in the digital industry is increasing. As the number of female gamers in India is increasing, there is an opportunity for more and more women to take on leadership roles in the industry.

As one of the few women leaders in the industry, I’ve had to win many battles around gender stereotypes. Like any other problem, my strategy to solve this one is to gather all my resources – an enabling co-founder, meritocratic team that doesn’t remember your gender, and a cap-table that believes in capabilities and business model and can see the company beyond your gender. On difficult days, I remember my growing up days as a kid from a typical Indian middle class family. With all hurdles and limited resources in a competitive environment, you had no option but to excel. At times the only option is to get through with a lot of hard work and all your supporters and believers by your side helping unlock real potential” –

Simplilearn Further Strenghtens It’s Leadership: Andrew Wait Appointed as a Board Member

Mumbai, 3rd March 2023 –: Simplilearn, the world’s #1 online bootcamp for digital economy skills, today announced the addition of Andrew Wait to the company’s board of members. Andrew’s on-boarding announcement comes on the back of the latest round of fundraising from a consortium led by GSV Ventures, a multi-stage venture capital firm, followed by the company’s acquisition of U.S.-based bootcamp education company, Fullstack Academy. In addition to GSV Ventures, Clal Insurance, and DisruptAD, ADQ’s venture platform, were also part of the round. In 2021, Simplilearn attracted an investment of $250 million by private equity firm, Blackstone Group.

With decades of professional experience, Andrew Wait is a successful board member, consultant, president, and a general manager. He has experience in worldwide internet, brand, product and marketing, including web-enabled and delivered consumer and B2B products and services. He is a proven coach, builder and leader of effective organizations with particular expertise in marketing, product development, engineering, operations, customer support and sales. He is also a key leader in successful, private equity, IPO and acquisition exits. Under his guidance, the company is confident of achieving its goal of becoming the world’s largest digital skilling platform very soon.

In his successful professional career, Andrew has been a board member/growth advisor at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. He has also been associated with companies such as Tractive, Pathstream, Crehana and Evolv Technologies. He is an alumni of St. Mary’s College of California from where he has completed his MBA in International Finance & Foreign Trade.

Speaking on joining the Simplilearn team, Mr. Andrew Wait said, “I am pleased to join the Simplilearn team at a time when the edtech industry is going through a dynamic shift across the globe. With the innovations and developments in the space, I look forward to a prosperous future. The scope of opportunities that edtech has opened up for students and professionals is massive and people continue to enthusiastically take up programs to upskill themselves and explore better prospects. While I am excited to bring my own expertise to the table, I look forward to learning and growing through the knowledge of the larger Simplilearn team.”

Sharing thoughts on Andrew Wait’s appointment, Mr. Krishna Kumar, Founder & CEO, Simplilearn, said, “I am happy to welcome our latest member to the Simplilearn family. Andrew’s vast knowledge and expertise is going to be of value as we gear up and build a team that will lead the way towards growing Simplilearn as the world-wide leader in skilling. Our aim to boost global access to upskilling remains strong, and we are pleased to have Andrew join us in this vision. I welcome Andrew to Simplilearn and look forward to working together to deliver the best to our customers globally.”

Simplilearn conducts more than 3000 live classes per month, with an average of 70,000 learners who together spend more than 500,000 hours each month on the platform. Programs offered by Simplilearn gives learners the opportunity to upskill and get certified in popular domains.

CII Recognises Kumar Subbiah, Executive Director & CFO, CEAT among Leading CFOs of the Year

New Delhi, 3rd March 2023 -: CEAT Ltd, India’s leading tyre manufacturer today announced that Mr. Kumar Subbiah, Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer has been recognised among the Leading CFOs of the year by CII at the 2nd edition of the CFO Excellence Awards in 2022. Mr. Subbiah was recognized in the Auto Category for his stellar work at the company in business partnering, capital allocation and driving operational excellence.

Under Mr. Subbiah’s guidance and leadership, CEAT has put in place several systems and processes that have helped enhance corporate governance standards and compliances. The Finance team has also emerged as a true partner to the business, finding the optimum balance between growth and leverage to help the organization meet its strategic objectives. As a result of its efforts to bring efficiencies in working capital across all elements that helped in making Rs 750 crores of cash available to invest in businesses over the last few years. The company has also undertaken several other initiatives including sourcing raw materials efficiently & competitively through strategic sourcing & tie-ups with partners. Initiatives in driving efficiencies in cashflows & funding helped in bringing down interest costs. The company also upgraded its SAP to SAP HANA and automated various operational activities through the deployment of RPAs and blockchain which has seen it be commended as one of the best in digital adoption in finance by the industry. CEAT was one of the first 30 companies in India to adopt integrated reporting in its annual report.

Another key initiative that has helped CEAT bridge the margin gap has been leveraging cross-functional teams to identify large cost-saving opportunities through a structured zero-based approach to costs. What started off as a pilot during the pandemic, has now become a practice at CEAT to identify a few large programs every year to drive large cost savings leveraging technology and a structured Quality Based Management (QBM) approach.

Commenting on the award, Mr. Kumar Subbiah, ED & CFO, CEAT said, “I am thrilled to be recognized by CII as one of the leading CFOs of the year. I believe this award is a recognition of all that we have been doing as a company to drive business excellence using a Quality Based Management (QBM) approach that has delivered results for the business. We hope that this award marks another milestone in our journey as we set new benchmarks in the industry in delivering a safe, sustainable, and smarter future.”

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) CFO Excellence Awards recognize and acknowledge outstanding capabilities and achievements in the Finance function. Over the years, the Awards have become the chief flag bearer of Corporate Transparency, Governance, and Financial Leadership. It recognizes and acknowledges exemplary achievements and professional contributions of CFOs and builds a strong CFO forum to facilitate sharing of best practices.

Pure Storage Ushers in the New Era of Unstructured Data Storage with FlashBlade//E

Mumbai, India − 3rd March 2023 –: Pure Storage® (NYSE: PSTG), the IT pioneer that delivers the world’s most advanced data storage technology and services, today announced FlashBlade//E™, a scale-out unstructured data repository built to handle exponential data growth with industry-leading energy efficiency. At an acquisition cost competitive with disk and much lower operational costs, the introduction of FlashBlade//E means that customers no longer need to settle for disk.

News Highlights:

FlashBlade//E provides a better way to manage unstructured data growth efficiently, reliably, and sustainably with a best-in-class user experience and economics that enable customers to eliminate the last remnants of disk in their data center.

● Economical at scale: FlashBlade//E is offered at under $0.20 per GB including three years of service. The platform starts at 4PB and scales from there with reliable performance.

● Industry-leading energy efficiency: FlashBlade//E consumes up to 5x less power than the disk-based systems it will replace. The larger the system the greater the efficiency, helping organizations achieve their increasingly critical sustainability goals.

● Simplicity, reliability, and a non-disruptive future: FlashBlade//E is built to flex and grow on demand with 10-20x more reliability than hard disk-based systems and evolving without disruption or forklift upgrades. With cloud-like simplicity, flexibility and predictable performance, FlashBlade//E remains simple to manage at any scale.

FlashBlade//E will be generally available by the end of April 2023. In addition to traditional purchase, customers will have the option to deploy FlashBlade//E through the new Efficiency service tier of Pure Storage Evergreen//One Storage as-a-Service (STaaS) subscription, providing pay-as-you-go economics and a cloud experience with the control of on-premises deployment.

Industry Significance:

For global organizations, unstructured data capacity is expected to grow by 10x before 2030. For large-capacity, price-sensitive workloads that use current disk-based storage solutions, this growth is unsustainable.

Disk-based systems are a burden on many enterprises’ IT teams and budgets as they are challenging to manage, require massive amounts of power, take up large amounts of space and their components fail too often, causing disruption and risking valuable data. Ultimately, this diminishes the ability to derive business value from data. While modern file and object storage solutions are capable of addressing many of these challenges, they haven’t been a viable option for large unstructured data repositories that are price-sensitive – until now.

Executive Insight:

“With FlashBlade//E, we’re realizing our founder’s original vision of the all-flash data center. For workloads where flash was once price-prohibitive, we are thrilled to provide customers the major benefits Pure delivers at a TCO lower than disk.” – Amy Fowler, VP & General Manager, FlashBlade, Pure Storage

“As our customers’ unstructured data growth continues to accelerate, there is demand for more sustainable and scalable storage solutions for everyday workloads. We are excited to be able to meet this need with FlashBlade//E, providing the simplicity and power savings Pure is known for at an acquisition cost lower than disk-based solutions.” – Brian Bartell, Practice Manager for Primary Storage, WWT

“While the benefits of flash for high-powered workloads have been largely acknowledged, disk’s price point has limited broader perception of its full potential use. Nevertheless, the need for a modern platform to accommodate the rise in unstructured data at scale is evident. FlashBlade//E’s promise of a more cost-effective, energy-efficient, and easier-to-manage approach to everyday workloads makes a compelling case for leaving disk behind.” –Scott Sinclair, Practice Director, Enterprise Strategy Group

Honda Cars India launches New City and New City e:HEV in India

Mumbai,3rd March 2023 –: Honda Cars India Ltd, a leading manufacturer of premium cars in India today launched the New City (Petrol) and New City e:HEV in the Indian market with sporty exterior styling, elegant interior enhancements and introduction of new features for advanced safety, connectivity and convenience. Both the models are BS-6 RDE compliant on E5 fuel and E20 material compatible.

Commenting on the launch of the New Honda City, Mr Takuya Tsumura, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd. said “Honda City has been our strongest pillar of business, defining the mid-size sedan segment in India and has achieved immense success during its 25-year glorious legacy. With India as the lead market for the model, we are excited to introduce the New City with sportier new look and enhanced new features for advanced safety, connectivity and convenience. We are confident that our esteemed customers who are increasingly prioritising Safety and Eco-friendliness in their vehicle choice will appreciate the New City. The expansion of Honda Sensing application in New City Petrol line-up and new grade introduction for City e:HEV is aligned with Honda’s global vision to promote safety, environment friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles that meet the changing needs and preferences of today’s consumers.”

The new City gets sporty and stylish new looks with a New Sporty Front Grille with Diamond chequered flag pattern, newly designed Front Bumper with Carbon wrapped Lower Molding, Sporty Fog Lamp Garnish, New Rear Bumper with Sporty Carbon-Wrapped Diffuser, Body coloured Sporty Trunk Lip Spoiler and newly designed R16 Dual-Tone Diamond-Cut Multi-Spoke Alloy Wheels. A brand-new addition to the New City’s fascinating and distinctive colour palette is the Obsidian Blue Pearl colour.

In line with Honda’s Global Safety Vision to strive for Zero Collision Fatalities involving Honda vehicles by 2050, the New City (Petrol) now comes with Honda Sensing – an advanced driver assist safety technology that alerts the driver to minimize risk of accidents and in some cases intervene to mitigate a collision or lessen its severity. The City e:HEV which already comes with Honda Sensing, will have additional feature of “Low-Speed Follow” in Adaptive Cruise Control function that helps to maintain safe distance from the preceding vehicle while driving at low speeds/ stop and go traffic. Another new feature ‘Lead Car Departure Notification System’ has been added in Honda Sensing suite of safety features in both City (petrol) and City e:HEV that informs the driver with visual and audible alerts when the preceding vehicle starts moving in situations like Traffic Lights junctions.

The Honda Sensing uses a high-performance front camera with a wide-angle, far-reaching detection system to scan the road ahead and alert the driver to minimize risk of accidents and offer a safer driving experience. Honda Sensing signature safety features include:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow* (*New Introduction in City e:HEV)
• Road Departure Mitigation System
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
• Lead Car Departure Notification System (New)
• Auto High-Beam

The interior of the New City packs a plush, premium and spacious cabin with Two-Tone Beige & Black Interiors in Petrol variants and Luxurious Two-Tone Ivory & Black Interior Colour Theme in City e:HEV. Introduction of new advanced connectivity features like Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Improved Infotainment System with new background & colours, Remote control operation via Smart Phone Application, Improved Rear Camera, Wireless Charger, Rain Sensing Auto Wiper add to the appeal and convenience for the customers. Feeling of luxury in the cabin at night has been further enhanced with Ambient Lighting introduced in Front Door Inner Handle and Front Door pockets. The brightness can be adjusted through the meter illumination control switch or turned off upon users’ requirements. The City e:HEV gets a new Carbon Fibre pattern Instrument Panel Assistant side Garnish Finish, Piano Black Surround Finish on All AC Vents and Piano Black Garnish on Steering Wheel.

The company has expanded the City e:HEV range with a new ‘V’ grade in addition to the existing top grade ‘ZX’ to provide customers with more choice and experience of this advanced self-charging strong hybrid electric technology. The New City (Petrol) will also have a new entry ‘SV’ grade for wider set of customers looking to upgrade to the City brand.

The New City (Petrol) comes with 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC engine with Variable Timing Control (VTC) to deliver high fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and spirited driving performance. This high-performance engine delivers 89 kw (121PS) @6600 rpm power and 145 Nm@4300 rpm torque, with quicker torque increase at lower engine speed. It has been mated to a 6-speed Manual Transmission and 7- speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) offering impressive fuel efficiency of 17.8 kmpl and 18.4 kmpl respectively*.

The New City e:HEV features Honda’s unique self-charging and highly efficient Two motor e-CVT hybrid system connected to a smooth 1.5-litre Atkinson-Cycle DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine, Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) with advanced Lithium-ion Battery and an Engine linked direct coupling Clutch. The e:HEV electric-hybrid system uses three driving modes – EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive, along with Regeneration mode during deceleration. A clever Power Control Unit ensures harmony between the various system components to provide an energetic response, seamlessly and automatically switching between three modes based on various driving situations.

The City e:HEV harnesses any electrical energy through braking and self-charges the Lithium Ion battery pack with no need to manually charge the battery. The Deceleration Selector lets the driver change the deceleration to 3 levels without stepping on brake pedal while still maintaining good vehicle control and fuel efficiency. This strong hybrid electric system produces System Combined Max Power of 126 PS, Outstanding Fuel Efficiency of 27.13 km/l and Maximum motor torque of 253 Nm @ 0 – 3,000 rpm*. With the Electric Servo Brake, Electric Regenerative Braking in New City e:HEV combines with Hydraulic Braking to bring the vehicle to a quick stop, while self-charging the Lithium-Ion battery pack.

The New City features host of advanced equipment including 20.3 cm Advanced Touchscreen Display Audio which connects with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Web Link smart connectivity, 8 speakers premium surround sound system, One- Touch Electric Sunroof, Ambient Lighting and LED Interior Lamps, Steering Mounted Paddle Shifters for CVT. A 17.7cm HD full color TFT meter with Multi-function driver information interface offer Honda Sensing support, various other alerts/ warnings, G-meter, Digital Speed, Cruise Control display and Power flow meters (in case of e:HEV). An easy to operate Electric Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold that engages parking brake with a single switch, has been adopted for the City e:HEV which eliminates the need for a brake lever and also lets the center console to be utilized more effectively for placing small items pocket tissue, smartphone or a small tablet in the Utility Tray.

The New City Petrol and New City e:HEV comes fully equipped with host of safety technologies, active and passive safety features like Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System) at low speed EV Mode (in City e:HEV), 6 Airbags, Honda Lane-Watch, Multi-angle Rear view Camera, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System with Deflation Warning, Vehicle Stability Assist with Agile Handling Assist, Hill Start Assist, ISOFIX compatible Rear Side Seats with Lower Anchorage & Top Tether, Immobilizer with anti-theft alarm and many more.

The New City comes equipped with 37 Honda Connect features and comes with a 5-year free subscription. In order to enhance the Connected car experience, Honda Connect works with smartwatch devices, Alexa remote capability and OK Google. With smartwatch connectivity, the car can be remotely controlled for enhanced convenience and user can always stay up-to-date with important notifications.

The New City (Petrol) comes in four grades SV, V, VX, and ZX with a choice in Manual or CVT transmission in V, VX, and ZX. The New City e:HEV comes in V and ZX grade.

The New City will be available with a choice of 6 colour options – Obsidian Blue Pearl (New), Radiant Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, Golden Brown Metallic.

The New City and e:HEV will offer complete peace of mind with 3-year Unlimited kilometers warranty as standard benefit to the customer. Customers can also opt for Extended Warranty up to 5 years and Anytime Warranty up to 10 years from the date of car purchase. The warranty available on Lithium-ion Battery will be 8-year or 160,000 Km (whichever comes first) from the date of car purchase.

Ex-showroom prices (New Delhi) of New City Petrol are:

Ex showroom prices (New Delhi) of New City e:HEV are:

*Power, Torque, Fuel Economy as per certified test data on E5 fuel

Meet These Women Entrepreneurs Successfully Spearheading Homegrown Beauty Brands

Vidushi Vijayvergiya, founder ISAK Fragrances

Vidushi Vijayvergiya launched Isak Fragrances in 2018 as an extension of her 160 year old family owned perfumery. Vidhushi’s unconscious exploration in the fragrance industry set her on a voyage to Switzerland and France to research and study more about the customisation of perfumes, this made her understand the real potential of Indian perfumery. In 2017, she joined her family’s craft of perfumery while taking it a step further. She then advanced with ISAK in 2018, a perfumery house of exceptional and enticing scents. Vidhushi Vijayverga’s dream was to bring back the sophistication of royals and imperial status connected to perfumes in India. Driven by a clear vision to consolidate ISAK into an everyday luxury brand, Vidushi’s plans include bridging the gaps in the Indian Perfume industry and talk more about our roots, heritage and the charm in Indian perfumery.

“I was often told that you can only take off one thing, either business or family. I am proud to say that the two can be taken care of together. In Fact, my kids are not only proud of me but are more independent, supportive and believe that family roles & responsibilities are not divided based on gender but are shared based on love & understanding.” adds Vidushi

Harshita Rai, Founder The Skin Diet Company

In 2018, Harshita Rai moved to New York for her masters. As glamorous as it sounds, the stress of managing everything took a toll on Harshita and this is when she realized that she needed to bring about some positive changes in her lifestyle. In her search she discovered the concept of ‘mindful eating’ and good foods to fuel the body from within. This was Harshita’s gateway into the world of ‘Superfoods’. Starting with Matcha, as superfoods became a part of her routine, she started to see the benefits of their high nutritional density and anti-oxidizing qualities. Harshita was convinced that whatever is good to put ‘in’ the body, is definitely good to put ‘on’ it. This led to the insight of formulating skincare products that utilize the complete potential of superfoods and birthed ‘The Skin Diet Company, in 2022.

“I embarked on a journey full of question marks with just an idea in my head, when I began hiring one thing my team banked on was the belief & passion I had towards my brand concept & an attitude to do best in whatever we do, with time I had answers in unbelievable ways by just trusting my path. I believe in today’s day & age there are a lot of opportunities for women. You just have to be vocal about your dreams no matter how unrealistic it might sound.” says Harshita

MG Motor India christens its soon-to-be-launched Smart EV as ‘Comet’

Mumbai: 3rd March 2023 -Building on its nearly century-old legacy of producing iconic automobiles, MG Motor India today announced the name of its upcoming Smart EV as ‘Comet’. The name derives inspiration from the iconic 1934 British airplane which participated in the England-Australia MacRobertson Air Race.

The ‘Comet’ is here at a time when driving in congested urban cities is becoming a stressful chore that calls for an urgent need for agile and futuristic solutions amidst skyrocketing fuel costs, sparse parking spaces, and increasing pollution. Electric vehicles can help reduce environmental impact, save costs, and offer convenience as well as comfort. The ‘Comet’ goes a step further to achieve this goal by providing seamless mobility, which is connected, automatic, electric and shared.

According to Mr. Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, “Urban mobility is at a point of inflexion where New Age solutions are needed to address both the current as well the forthcoming challenges. As we move further into the digital age, we will witness an exceedingly large number of innovations that could range from futuristic technologies to unique designs to clean mobility and many others. We at MG, through ‘Comet’, intend to take the needed decisive steps and a ‘leap of faith’ in the direction of creating solutions for a better future for each one of us.”

MG Motor India’s current portfolio includes vehicles such as the Hector which was named after a World War II fighter British biplane built in the late 1930s. Similarly, the Gloster is named after a prototype jet-engine aircraft that was made in Britain and first flown in 1941.

Hyderabad is the most popular Indian city in Iran than any other Indian cities and is even more popular than New Delhi: Iran Envoy in India

Hyderabad, March 03, 2023….An interactive meeting on “Exploring Business Opportunities with Iran” was held on Thursday at FTCCI in Red Hills in the city.

It was organised by FTCCI (The Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry) in association with the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran-Hyderabad.

Addressing 200 plus audience His Excellency H.E. Dr. Iraj Elahi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India said ‘Hyderabad is a more famous city in Iran than any other Indian city. It is an even more popular city than New Delhi’.

I have been hearing a lot about Hyderabad since my childhood, he said.

India is the rising economy in the world. Iran can be a good companion to India in its journey. We can complement each other.

Many nations, including India, have gone through sanctions at some stage or the other. We must learn to live and lead under sanctions, said the ambassador.

The envoy also assured that the Iranian business delegation will visit Hyderabad in a few months.

He asked many businessmen, and exporters, in the hall to look at Iran as a good and potential market for Indian products. We have an 80 million population, together with our neighbouring nations we are 20 million and a big market which can be tapped.

H.E. Mahdi Shahrokhi, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hyderabad said that it was the maiden visit of the Ambassador to Hyderabad city. I have been living in Hyderabad for the past 22 months. We feel at home in Hyderabad.

Speaking further the Consul General said, the Cost of stay, study, and tuition fee is cheaper in Iran than in India. Look at Iran for studying abroad. Nearly 20,000 Indians are studying in Iran he told the gathering.

Giving his welcome remarks Mr Anil Agarwal, President of FTCCI said India, Iran and Telangana are natural allies. We entered many MoUs with Iran. We are planning a business delegation to Iran soon and similarly an Iranian business delegation to India. The diplomatic relations between the two nations are about 70 years old.

AVPS Chakravarthi, Chairman of the International Relations Trade Committee, delivering introductory remarks, said we eat Hyderabadi Biryani and drink Irani Chai, which is our connection between the two nations.

Speaking further AVPS Chakravarthy added we are an agrarian society and the state being the Rice Bowl of India, both nations can have a lot of scope for cooperation. India is the capital of Medical Tourism.

Mr. Meela Jayadev, Mr. Suresh Kumar Singhal, Vice President;; Ms. Khyati Narawane, CEO of FTCCI also participated. Mr. Meela Jayadev proposed a Vote of Thanks.